I was wondering if it would be possible to take an APK file and convert it into a readable Roku OS that will take the zip file if I edited the manifest or the structure of all of the files and contents?
Absolutely not. Roku isn’t even close to Android.
You’d be better off writing an app from scratch. The Roku OS does not support the language used in APK files.
After years in the industry and years looking, I’ve found nothing that even comes close. Please let me know if you do find something
You can’t run an APK directly on Roku. Roku’s OS is completely different from Android, and its apps are built in BrightScript. Changing the APK’s zip or manifest won’t make it work. If you want the app on Roku, it would need to be completely redeveloped. There is a workaround to stream Android content to Roku without rewriting the app, if you want.
I would really like to know. I have an APK that I can install on Android TVs, but I can’t install it on Roku. How do I do this? I would really like to know, please.
Could you tell us about this workaround please?
@Lucasmorfo Please read everything again. There is no workaround. APK files are for Android devices. Roku devices use the Roku OS, which is built from Linux but extremely modified. There is no way to use an Android app on the Roku OS.
@Lucasmorfo there is no workaround. That user mentioned being able to “stream Android content” to a Roku. All that means is screen sharing an Android device to a Roku player. The Roku is not running the program, it’s merely showing the screen of the Android device through the Roku. You can do the same thing with an Apple device or a Windows laptop. That doesn’t mean there’s any way to run an iOS or Windows app on the Roku.
@atc98092 What are the steps to rewrite the app in a code that is recognized by Roku?
While I have a little experience with computer programming, I have none in either BrightScript (the Roku programming language) nor Android. I don’t believe there’s any way to simply modify an APK file, and the application would need to be written from the ground up.
Thank you for removing this doubt. really, you end up thinking about switching to a android tv.
“Roku doesn’t support direct APK installation since it runs its own OS, not Android. The only workaround is to publish your app as a Roku Channel or use screen casting from an Android device/TV box. There’s no safe method to sideload APKs directly onto Roku
harie wrote:
There’s no safe method to sideload APKs directly onto Roku
It’s not that there’s no safe method. There is NO method of sideloading any app on a Roku device.
